Route Setting Method and Route Management Device

Abstract

A technology is disclosed in which a QoS path related to a mobile terminal is established via an aggregation domain. When the QoS path is modified in accompaniment to the movement of the mobile terminal, a crossover node present within the aggregation domain is discovered. According to the technology, when a new QoS path is established between a QNE (local terminal) 101 and a QNE (partner terminal) 501 , a QNE 303 near a subnet 301 to which the QNE (local terminal) is connected after moving transmits a message towards the QNE (partner terminal). At this time, a message is transmitted to find a QNE present at a location at which QoS paths for aggregation before and after the movement of the QNE (local terminal)separate, between QNEs (a QNE 305 and a QNE 211 ) positioned on an edge of an aggregation domain 227 . A QNE 209 recognizes that the QNE itself is the crossover node upon receiving the message. The QNE adds its own IP address to the message and transfers the message.

1 . A path setting method used when, when an end-to-end path established between two communication terminals of which at least one terminal is a mobile terminal passes through an aggregation area and the end-to-end path is connected in the aggregation area by an aggregation path, the mobile terminal performs a handover and a new end-to-end path between the two communication terminals is established, the path setting method comprising a step of:
 transmitting, by a path managing device that is one endpoint of a second aggregation path, a crossover node retrieval message towards a path managing device that is another endpoint of the second aggregation path to find a crossover node that is positioned within the aggregation area and is of a first aggregation path established before a movement of the mobile terminal and the second aggregation path established after the movement of the mobile terminal.   
     
     
         2 . The path setting method according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 judging, by a node within the aggregation area, whether the node itself is the crossover node of the first aggregation path and the second aggregation path upon receiving the retrieval message; and   adding, by the node within the aggregation area when judged that the node itself is applicable as the crossover node, its own identifying information to the retrieval message and transmitting the retrieval message towards the path managing device that is the other endpoint of the second aggregation path.   
     
     
         3 . A path managing device that, when a mobile terminal using an end-to-end path that passes through an aggregation area and is connected by a first aggregation path moves and a new end-to-end path is established, is one endpoint of a new second aggregation path within the aggregation area that connects the new end-to-end path and is positioned on an edge of the aggregation area, the path managing device comprising:
 a message transmitting means that transmits a crossover node retrieval message towards a path managing device that is another endpoint of the second aggregation path to find a crossover node that is positioned within the aggregation area and is of a first aggregation path established before a movement of the mobile terminal and the second aggregation path established after the movement of the mobile terminal.   
     
     
         4 . The path managing device according to  claim 3 , wherein the retrieval message includes path identifying information for identifying the first aggregation path. 
     
     
         5 . A path managing device that, when a mobile terminal using an end-to-end path that passes through an aggregation area and is connected by a first aggregation path moves and a new end-to-end path is established, is one endpoint of a new second aggregation path within the aggregation area that connects the new end-to-end path and is positioned on an edge of the aggregation area, comprising:
 a message receiving means that receives a crossover node retrieval message from a path managing device that is another endpoint of the second aggregation path to find a crossover node that is positioned within the aggregation area and is of a first aggregation path established before a movement of the mobile terminal and the second aggregation path established after the movement of the mobile terminal; and   a crossover identifying means that extracts identifying information of a path managing device applicable as the crossover node added to the retrieval message by the path managing device.   
     
     
         6 . A path managing device positioned within an aggregation area, comprising:
 a message receiving means that, when a mobile terminal using an end-to-end path that passes through the aggregation area and is connected by a first aggregation path moves and a new end-to-end path is established, receives a retrieval message for retrieving a crossover node of the first aggregation path established before the movement of a mobile terminal and a second aggregation path established after the movement of the mobile terminal, transmitted by a path managing device that is one endpoint of the new second aggregation path within the aggregation area connecting the new end-to-end path and is positioned on an edge of the aggregation area;   a judging means that judges whether the path managing device itself is applicable as the crossover node of the first aggregation path and the second aggregation path upon receiving the retrieval message;   an identifying information adding means that adds its own identifying information to the retrieval message when judged by the judging means that the path managing device itself is applicable as the crossover node; and   a message transferring means that transfers the retrieval message to which its own identifying information has been added towards a path managing device that is another endpoint of the second aggregation path.   
     
     
         7 . The path managing device according to  claim 6 , wherein, when the identifying information is already added to the retrieval message by another path managing device, the message transferring means transfers the retrieval message without the identifying information being added to the retrieval message by the identifying information adding means. 
     
     
         8 . The path managing device according to  claim 6 , comprising:
 a path information storing means that stores path information related to an aggregation path passing through the path managing device itself,   wherein the judging means references path identifying information for identifying the first aggregation path included in the retrieval message and, when confirmation is made that path information related to the first aggregation path included in the retrieval message is stored in the path information storing means, the identifying information adding means adds its own identifying information to the retrieval message.   
     
     
         9 . The path managing device according to  claim 8 , wherein, when the identifying information is already added to the retrieval message by another path managing device, the message transferring means transfers the retrieval message without the identifying information being added to the retrieval message by the identifying information adding means.